Behavioural Insights Projects
Discover projects applying behavioural science to policy from around the world. Add your own projects, whether completed or still ongoing, to contribute knowledge on BI applications across different countries, policy areas, and topics of interest.

Number of BI projects:
0
Legend: Projects status
- Pre-registered project
- Completed project
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BI Project
In a move aimed at improving how it registers its development cooperation activities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs developed an application: IMPACT. This was successful in enabling budget holders to report activities more correctly: activities now have shorter names and are reported in English more often than previously. However, budget holders continue to use non-standard abbreviations.
Why this experiment was conducted: reports do not always comply with appropriate standards
The Ministry…
This research shows that teacher and administration absences can negatively affect students’ reading and math abilities.Working with the Peruvian Ministry of Education (MINEDU) and the UK’s Behavioural Insights Team (BIT), we tested whether attendance could be influenced by sending different behaviorally informed messages by email. One email message conveyed the current level of attendance of one’s school district the “social norm” while the other built on teachers’ pro-social…
BI Project
Combining Incentives with Narratives: Online-Field Experiment with Tesco to Reduce Plastic Bag Use
The pervasive use of single-use plastic bags presents a growing environmental challenge globally. Despite legislative efforts, such as the mandatory 5p bag-charge introduced in England in October 2015, the problem persists. The issue took on renewed urgency in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has seen a regression in consumer habits towards increased use of single-use plastics, driven by health and safety concerns (Adyel, 2020).
While traditional economic theory suggests that incentives…
In connection with the 2022 county elections, an experiment was conducted in Finland for the first time to examine the impact of text message reminders on the voting turnout of young people. In the experiment, young people (aged 18 to 29) were messaged twice about the schedule of the county elections and their right to vote. The aim of the study was to find out whether a text message reminder increases voting turnout. The experiment was carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice and…
Challenge
The City of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania offers a discount to low-income senior citizens living in the municipality on their water bills. Senior water and sewer customers can apply to receive 25 percent off their payments for water in an effort to reduce the financial burden on those elderly citizens with lesser means.
However, despite the fact that this would benefit the citizens in question, the City of Philadelphia noticed that many low-income seniors eligible for the discount were…
SIMPLESMENTE is an acronym formed by the initials of 12 mechanisms studied by the behavioral sciences. SIMPLESMENTE is an application to simplify and support the use of behavioral sciences in public policy designs. Based on a guided script, users define a problem of interest in public policies and are encouraged to assume the user's perspective. They are invited to apply a series of references, based on evidence and international practice, to improve their understanding of the situation and…
BI Project
Measuring the effect of community based social marketing on the rate of application for home energy…
In Ireland, grants for retrofitting homes with energy upgrade measures are available from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. Improved energy efficiency of households is an important aspect of Ireland’s climate emergency related targets.
Barriers to retrofitting include a lack of understanding about retrofitting and the process, and a lack of awareness of grant availability. Community based social marketing (CBSM) might be an effective way of increasing uptake because it addresses…
BI Project
Enhanced cybersecurity of SMEs: Can a phishing test make companies less vulnerable to cyberattacks?
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises are particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks. A large-scale field experiment amongst SME employees showed that a phishing test is effective in the short term, but not in the medium or long term.
Why this experiment was conducted: SMEs are vulnerable to cyberattacks
Phishing is one of the most common types of cybercrime and is frequently the precursor to additional cyber threats, including malware and ransomware attacks. SMEs are vulnerable, with many of them…
BI Project
Applying behavioural science to decrease air contamination from woodheating in Ile de France
More than 480 000 people in Ile de France use an inefficient woodheating device releasing high quantities of particulate matters in the environment but do not always link air pollution and woodheating.
This project aimed to inform the inhabitants about this link and encourage them to renew their ancient devices and adopt good practices around woodheating.
281 households were equiped with particulate matter sensors and the DITP compared the evolution of contamination between groups, divided in…
BI Project
Evaluating the Impact of Communicating the Credit Card Statement on Financial Decisions:…
Chilean regulation establishes the format and content that financial providers must communicate to cardholders about their transactions throughout a monthly billing statement. Although this information is relevant for making decisions, comparative evidence indicates that people have difficulty understanding and making informed decisions.
This study shows qualitative and experimental evidence about the impact of Credit Cards Statements on consumers' repaying decisions. The study considers the…